5 Gorgeous Waterfall Trails in Glacier National Park

With its awe-inspiring natural beauty and endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, Glacier National Park is a must-see destination for any nature lover. From hiking and camping to wildlife watching and scenic drives, there’s no shortage of ways to explore and experience the park’s stunning landscapes. The park is also home to numerous breathtaking waterfalls, each offering a unique and incredible experience. In a park with over 200 waterfalls and over 700 miles of hiking trails, it can be challenging to decide which trails to start exploring first. To help you plan your Glacier adventure, we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 favorite waterfall trails. No matter which waterfall trail you choose, you’re sure to be blown away by the stunning beauty of Glacier National Park.

Entrance Fee:

$35 for a 7-day vehicle pass.

In addition to a park pass, Glacier National Park also requires a timed entry reservation.

West Glacier- North Fork and Going-to-the-Sun Road require a timed entry reservation from May 24^th to Sept 8^th, 2024, from 6 am to 3 pm.

East Glacier- Many Glacier will require a timed entry reservation from July 1^st to Sept 8^th, 2023, from 6 am to 3 pm.

Two Medicine and Going-to-the-Sun Road from St. Marys will not require timed entry reservations for 2024.

All timed entry reservations are valid for 1 day.

Reservations can be found at Recreation.gov and are released 4 months in advance. If you miss the initial release, there is another block of timed entry reservations released at 7 pm MST the day prior to the visit date.

Reservations are $2 and are non-refundable and non-transferable. For more information on the timed entry process, check out this link- Glacier National Park Passes.

Lodging:

Lodging options inside the park include:

West- Village Inn Motel, Lake McDonald Lodge, Apgar Village Lodge, and Motel Lake McDonald

East- Rising Sun Motor Inn, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, and Many Glacier Hotel

The park also has 13 campgrounds. Bowman Lake, Cut Bank, Kintla Lake, Quartz Creek, and Rising Sun do not take reservations. Apgar, Avalanche, Fish Creek, Many Glacier, St. Mary, Sprague Creek, and Two Medicine Campgrounds all accept reservations at Recreation.gov.

On the west side, check out West Glacier, Coram, Hungry Horse, and Columbia Falls for lodging outside the park. We stayed at Mountain Meadow RV Park & Cabins and loved it (we have a travel trailer). We were at the park in less than 10 min. They had full hookups, Wi-Fi, laundry services, fire pits, and picnic tables. We would absolutely stay there again.

On the east side, check out East Glacier or Browning. Options on the park’s east side are limited, so you will want to book early. We stayed at Glacier Grizzly Resort. Again, they had full hookups, Wi-Fi, laundry services, fire pits, and picnic tables. And they had unbelievable mountain views 😊

Dining:

There are many dining options throughout the park.

Apgar- Eddie’s Café (b/l/d)
Lake McDonald Lodge- Russell’s Fireside Dining Room (b/l/d), Jammer Joe’s Grill & Pizzeria (l/d), Lucke’s Lounge (l/d)
Many Glacier- Ptarmigan Dining Room (b/l/d), Swiss Lounge (l/d), Nell’s (b/l/d), Heidi’s (snacks, drinks)
Two Medicine- General Store (snacks, drinks)
North Fork- Polebridge Mercantile (b/l/d)

Outside the park, the west side of Glacier has significantly more dining options than the east side of Glacier. Personal recommendations- Glacier Tap House & Pizza (west), Twin Sisters Café (east), and Rising Sun Pizza (east).

Must Know Before You Go:

Please consider purchasing all boat shuttle tickets ahead of time. The Glacier Park Boat Company has shuttles and tours at Lake McDonald, St. Mary, Two Medicine, and Many Glacier. For the trails below, you will need to book the Two Medicine shuttle for Twin Falls.
Bring lots of layers and rain jackets even if rain isn’t forecasted. At the end of June, we had snow, rain, and warm weather, all in just 10 hours😊
One of my favorite things about Glacier National Park- ALL the wildlife! Always carry bear spray with you and know how to safely use it. Also, please review all other wildlife safety here- Wildlife Safety.
Weather and wildlife can cause road and trail closures. Going-to-the-Sun Road typically opens late June or early July and closes for winter in mid-October- depending on the weather. My advice is to be flexible. There is not a trail in the park that is not stunning😊
Every parking lot is small. You must be at most trailheads before 8 am to secure a spot. My very best Glacier advice- If you are coming from EST or CST, stay on your home time while in Glacier. Your 7 am is Glacier’s 5 am, making getting up and out the door/tent a little easier and finding a parking spot ALOT easier😊
And as always, please remember to Leave No Trace.

Cell Service:

There is no cell service anywhere in the park. Public Wi-Fi is available at the Apgar Visitor Center and St. Mary Visitor Center.

The Trails

#1 Running Eagle Falls

Distance: 0.6 miles roundtrip

Trail Route: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation Gain: minimal (>20ft)

Trail Access: Running Eagle Falls TH via Two Medicine Road

Running Eagle Falls is a breathtaking waterfall that descends 40 ft into another waterfall that drops 20 ft out of a vast cave opening. The falls have their own parking lot in the Two Medicine Area, situated just after the entrance. The trail leading to the overlook of Running Eagle Falls is considered stroller-friendly and wheelchair accessible. However, the path beyond the footbridge and observation deck is unsuitable for strollers or wheelchairs.

#2 Aster Falls

Distance: 2.8 miles roundtrip

Trail Route: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 200+ ft

Trail Access: South Shore TH at Two Medicine Lake

This trail provides stunning views of the mountains the entire way and culminates with the incredible 20-foot Aster Falls. Along the way, moose can often be spotted near the lakeshore and beaver ponds, particularly in the early morning. Hopefully, you’ll be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of one!

Optional Add On: Head up to the Aster Park Overlook from the falls. It will add another 1 mile and 500 ft of elevation gain onto your hike. Also, check out the short side trip to Paradise Point on returning to the parking lot. The trip will add another 0.8 miles to your hike.

#3 Twin Falls

Distance: 2.0 miles roundtrip

Trail Route: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation Gain: 100+ ft

Trail Access: Boat dock at Two Medicine Lake

To reach the beautiful 80 ft Twin Falls, you could continue hiking the South Shore Trail from Aster Falls. However, I recommend opting for a boat ride across the lake before starting your hike. The boat dock is just off the main parking lot, and the boat captain provided us with lots of information about the area and its history during our trip across the lake.

Upon docking on the west side of the lake, you have two options. You can take a guided hike to Twin Falls (with your boat guide) or head straight to the falls yourself. The trail is easy to follow, but the guide will provide more information about the area, so it is up to you!

Optional Add-on: After Twin Falls, the trail continues to Upper Two Medicine Lake. Adding Upper Two Medicine Lake onto your hike will add another 2.5 miles and 200 ft of elevation gain. The last boat shuttle back to the parking lot leaves the dock at 5:15 pm.

*To use the boat shuttle, purchase tickets from the Glacier Park Boat Company. I recommend purchasing tickets before arrival.

# 4 Baring Falls/St. Mary Falls/Virginia Falls

Distance: 5.5 miles roundtrip

Trail Route: Out-and-back

Difficulty: Moderate; the most challenging part of the trail is the 0.8 miles from St. Mary Falls to Virginia Falls

Elevation Gain: 500+ ft

Trail Access: There are several ways to reach these three stunning waterfalls; however, parking at the Sunrift Gorge pull-off via Going-to-the-Sun Road is the easiest and most direct route.

If you cannot find parking at Sunrift Gorge or at a nearby pull-out, consider taking the park shuttle or parking in the Sun Point Lot and starting the trail there. It will add another 0.6 miles roundtrip onto your hike.

Start the trail on the north side of Going-to-the-Sun Road, where you will almost immediately come to Sunrift Gorge. After checking out the gorgeous gorge, head down the path, passing under the arched bridge. Baring Falls will be 0.3 miles from the bridge via the Siyeh Pass Trail. When the trail splits at the bottom of the hill, stay right.

After Baring Falls, continue the Piegan Pass Trail for 1.1 miles until the path runs into the St. Mary Falls Trail. Head left, and St. Mary Falls will be another 0.5 miles down the trail. Continue past St. Mary Falls for another 0.8 miles until you reach the bottom of Virginia Falls, my favorite waterfall in all of Glacier. After reaching the bottom of Virginia Falls, make sure you head another 0.2 miles up to the second overlook for the very best views of the incredible falls😊

#5 Trail of Cedars/Avalanche Lake

Distance: 5.5 miles roundtrip

Trail Route: Combo. Avalanche Lake is an out-and-back off the Trail of Cedars loop.

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 700+ ft

Trail Access: Trail of Cedars lot via Going-to-the-Sun Road

Parking is challenging at the Trail of Cedars TH, so plan to arrive early….6-7 am early.

From the Trail of Cedars trailhead, it is an easy boardwalk trail. At the first trail split, continue straight. Just after the footbridge overlooking the incredible Avalanche Gorge, about 0.6 miles from the parking lot, you will see the trailhead for Avalanche Lake on your left.

The trail leading up to the lake is easy to follow. As you make your way up, you’ll walk through a lush green forest alongside the rushing Avalanche Creek. Once you reach the lake, you’ll be greeted by several waterfalls cascading over the mountain ridge and down towards the lake. If the weather is warm, you might want to consider bringing your swimsuit and taking a dip in the gorgeous glacial lake before heading back down.

BONUS WATERFALL TRAIL:

McDonald Falls/Silver Cascades

Distance: 2.0 miles roundtrip

Trail Route: Loop

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation Gain: 100+ ft

Trail Access: Either Johns Lake lot or McDonald Falls lot via Going-to-the-Sun Road

The easy Johns Lake Loop will take you past John’s Lake, McDonald Falls, and Silver Dancing Cascades. I highly recommend grabbing a picture of the map at the trailhead. This loop is a combination of trails, and having a map will help you stay on the right path.

*Currently, through at least early 2024, there is construction on/near the trail. You should still be able to see both sets of falls and the lake, even with the closures.

Optional Add-on- Walk further along McDonald Creek by following the Upper McDonald Creek Trail north at the footbridge. Walking the entire length of the creek trail past the footbridge will add another 3 miles to your hike.